Christmas fun!

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It's Official!

I am now a seasonal employee with the state of Colorado! I will be working in the campground office, as I have been, only I will be paid for my efforts (not much, but hey...).

We are in our new spot, a host spot, and the boys have found 'The Hole' behind the rig. It is a picture-perfect boy-spot, complete with a dirt sliding area, bugs, roots to climb up on, and a downed limb on which to hang. They spend a good amount of time there and love it. I love it because they spend a good amount of time there - outside, entertaining themselves, totally unplugged.

It was suppose to snow today, but instead it is 58 degrees. Of course, we didn't plan anything, seeing that it was suppose to snow. Oh well, Tom is working on his 3-wheeler, Maxxon is helping, and Mitchell is playing a Lego Star Wars game on the X-box.

I have the onerous task of doing the laundry. Why? Because only I can carry the immense baskets full of dirty cloths. It's embarrassing, really, to carry such a huge load of clothes into the laundromat. I have no explanation for such a dearth of cleanliness, other than the fact that I am the mother of two very active boys. I mean, come on! How can one family of four cause such a mess? And we all know just how fun the laundromat is.

Have you ever seen The 13th Warrior? If so, you know the scene where Antonio is listening to the Vikings speak in their native language, and it slowly becomes clear to him what they are saying - he can understand their language. I have that same experience every time I go to do laundry. I listen to Spanish television, and hear the occasional English, and pretty soon I can almost understand the entire program. And who puts the music to these shows? I have to look at the screen sometimes just to see if the action merits the musical score. It usually doesn't. I wonder if the Spanish-speakers think the same about English television.

And how did the accordion get to Mexico?

Appearances II

A very wise friend posted a comment - "Sometimes rude creepy people are really rude creepy people" - that has turned out to be quite true in this case. The creepy guy in question still comes into the park, but has been put on strict sanctions - he is no longer allowed to knock on any host's door unless there is a 911 emergency. He has made such a creepy pest of himself that none of the hosts wants him in their loop. And he always looks like someone has put him through a meat grinder. Last time they were here, both he and his brother made a point to tell me that the damage was NOT inflicted by the older brother - as if I care.

Out of the mouths of babes: Creepy guy warned us to keep the boys away from his dogs (pitbull and rotweiller) as he wasn't sure how the dogs would respond/react. When we explained it to them, Maxxon had some questions:

Maxxon: "Mama, are those bad guys" - pointing at their rig.
Mama: "No honey, they're not bad, their dogs are bad".
Maxxon: "Are they good guys?"
Mama: "I think so, babe".
Maxxon: "Mama, good guys can't have bad dogs. Bad guys have bad dogs".

Now how's that for perceptive? I had no response because I can't argue with his reasoning. Both boys have decided to stay away from the guys and the dogs. I heartily agree and intend to do the same.

Has it really been a month?

I can't believe a whole month has past. It's been really fast!

Maxxon turned 3 on the 17th. That was fun - another Lego fan is born. He and 'brother' spent the day putting together Batman Legos and fighting over who's was the coolest.

Mitchell has become penpals with Aunt Sherry. He loves getting letters, but writing one is a painful excercise. He fights it so much, instead of just focusing. But, he is improving.

I've been offered a paying position at the Park. I would be a Campground Attendent through the summer. That would mean not hosting - Tom would not have to do anything all summer but watch the boys. Granted, that is a full-time job. I think it might be easier here as there is so much to do in the park. The downside is that I would be gone 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. The upside it a paycheck. If we can bank Tom's disability and live off my paycheck, we could really be in a good place by the end of summer.

What I really want to do, and may do this winter or next summer, is be a Seasonal Ranger. I'd get to be semi involved in law enforcement again, but without a lot of the situations police face here in Denver. People come to the park to have fun, so are generally easier to deal with. There are exceptions, of course. However, this is something I want to pursue. Tom is behind the idea completely.

Summer is around the corner

We've been offered a summer position here at the campground. And as the time draws nearer when we should be planning on leaving, it would seem our options have narrowed. I guess we could take our money and leave the area, but we don't have enough to get to Belize, and no way to make money once we're there. So, the planning continues.

The weather is no help either. I always forget just how beautiful Colorado is in the Spring. The sky seems so big, the greens are magnificent, and there is a certain something about the air.

Ah, how I wait in wonder for Spring in Colorado.

The calm before the storm

Literally! It was over 60 degrees today and now we're prepping for another round of snow. We only reached second place in the 'snow on the ground' record. We had snow on the ground for a consecutive 61 days. The record was 63.

The boys are watching the original Pink Panther cartoons. It is very amusing and gratifying to see the humor leap over the generation gap. They are having as much fun and Tom and I did when we were that little. Great writing!

The taxes are filed and we get some back this year - always better than having to pay. I always use Turbo Tax Online and file electronically. We should get our return within 10 days. Ain't the Internet grand!

I was just thinking about the Internet this morning, after having read about the new 'worry' for some parents - a virtual reality chat room that is attracting many predators. I have no idea why this should be a 'new' concern. Predators will find a way...that is their way.

What I don't understand are the parents who seem to have no control over their child's computer use. Of course, most kids are in their own room, with their own TV, their own computer, their own Internet connection, etc. Even before living in the RV, Tom and I agreed that the only computer use would happen in a community spot in the house - right in the middle of the traffic flow. And we would be a part of any Internet happenings.

I believe, as a whole, most Americans have found it easier to ignore whatever makes them uncomfortable than to deal with it. And then act suprised when their own progeny shoot and kill several people, including themselves. How do children build a bomb in the garage without their parents having any idea as to what they were doing? Why are these parents so quick to blame everyone and everything else, especially the Internet, for what they chose to ignore?

I guess we'll see what happens in our life in about 10 years.

To stay or to go?

There might be the slightest chance of staying here longer. If the opportunity were to present itself, should we take it? I mean, what's the point of living in a movable home if we never move it? But then again, it would be great to see what this place is like in the summer. And I love the camaraderie between all the hosts. There is a real sense of community and that we belong here. That's something we haven't (or, I haven't) since Olive Street.

And who knows what will happen with Tom's work. He could get called back any time. If we make a commitment here and he get's called back, I don't know how we would make that work. We'll just have to see....

Maxxon will be three next month. It doesn't seem possible that three years have flashed by so quickly. Mitchell will be eight this year! How can that be? It can't be that I have been a mom for eight years. You think it be easier, but I don't seem to have any more patience than I did when Moo was two! I keep trying.